Let's Plays Save Lives

It's a fact of life that sometimes, it can be hard, stressful and depressing. We all go through rough patches at some point or another, some of which are rougher than others. It's at times like this that we attempt to cope with the tough times by finding as escape. Some listen to music full blast, some paint or draw and some play video games. We all have different coping mechanisms that allow us to get through the tough times and move to a better place. For some, Let's Plays do exactly that; providing comfort and hope for those in need.

As I've said many times in past posts, Let's Plays are essentially improv comedy shows, The hosts need to think on their feet to be able to provide solid laughs from their audience. And laughing is good. They say laughter is the best medicine and quite frankly it's true. Laughter can indeed help cure depression. When you laugh, your body releases endorphins which are natural pain killers. They also help lower anxiety and give you a more positive outlook on your problems. A lot of comedic mediums such as stand up, sitcoms and films have been credited with this fact so why not Let's Play shows? After all, Pewdipie has over 30 million subscribers, Markiplier just broke 4 million and the Game Grumps are near 2 million so you can't say they don't have an audience. The sheer numbers represented by these channels alone can speak volumes for the lives they've affected.

But it's not just the numbers that tell the tale. The content creators themselves realize the impact of their work everyday. Game Grumps are well known for how they help people with depression. In fact, at one point on the show, Danny shared a story that really hit home for a lot of people. He discussed his personal struggle with depression, and how he fought against OCD without even knowing it. He decided to tell the story because many people receive comfort from Game Grumps and wanted to share his own experience so the audience had something to relate to. The episode garnered a very positive response and is still beloved by many fans today. Even if you look at the comments section below the video, people are still being inspired by this episode and even come back to it whenever they feel helpless. Though it must be said, his decisions during that time weren't perfect, as throwing away your prescribed medication without consulting your Doctor is definitely a very risky thing to do and doesn't work out as cleanly as it did for him. In another video in the series, he acknowledges this and also thanks the fans for all of the support and thank you emails he received after the episode aired. That alone proves how the Game Grumps are always watching, listening and interacting with their fans.

Markiplier too is well aware of the impact he has on people and in fact thanks his audience on a constant basis. One thing that makes me enjoy Markiplier so much personally is how humble he is. He's very relatable and he has shared his own story as well. He too has dealt with tough times and depression and has been in situations that were seemingly hopeless. After his Father died his life took a downward spiral and at one pint while in the hospital, he felt trapped and angry. He managed to summon the strength and willpower to get through it, but for some they aren't so strong willed. And that's why videos like this are important because they inspire people to do better and to let them know that it gets better. I myself turn to his thank you video from time to time when I feel like things are hopeless and I instantly feel not as bad, where I feel like the bad situation I was in is escapable and lo and behold I've made it this far.

Aside from helping people kick depression, these channels have also donated a lot of money to charity over the course of their existence. Markiplier especially does a lot of charity live streams. I can't even begin to list how many streams for charity he's done. And as stated in the thank you video, he's always encouraging his viewers to donate and do better for the World. Game Grumps has done some charity work as well and raised seven thousand dollars during that one event. The ex-Grump JonTron did did a livestream charity recently and raised over twenty-five thousand dollars during the stream.

Whether you find Let's Play channels funny to watch or not, there's no denying that they do make a difference. They touch so many peoples lives and inspire them to do great things. They not only bring people up when they're down but they inspire them as well to make art of their own. I for one got the inspiration to do my Let's Play channel straight from Game Grumps because they have brought joy to so many people and I really want do the same when my show eventually launches. (It is coming soon, I promise.) This something not just all comedians but artists in general should do. They should aim to make happiness and love from the talents they posses. They should inspire those with a dream and encourage them to spread that inspiration to others who want to create something meaningful and so on. Over the course of this blog so far, I've attempted to convey how Let's Play channels are not some stupid internet fad that just consist of people playing over video games while talking but are something much deeper and worthwhile. To me, this is the core reason why these shows and YouTube as a creative platform for that matter, is something legitimate and robust that should be taken seriously. Of course for some, their perception will never change and while unfortunate, I can accept it because it doesn't change the fact that Let's Plays save lives.